Walking cast shoe



Oct. 21, 1952 R. F. LARKIN WALKING CAST SHOE Filed Feb. 2, 1952 INVEN TOR. 505E62 I? Zfli ff V Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNITED STATES EPTENT OFFICE WALKING CAST snos Robert F. Larkin, wau watosa, Wis.

Application February 2, 1952, Serial No. 269,640

5 Claims- (Cl. 36-85) The present invention relates to shoes and foot protectors for the foot when fixed in a plaster cast, and particularly to a walking cast shoe.

The main object of my invention is to provide a person whose foot is in a cast but with the toes exposed, with a special shoe fitting upon the cast and protecting the toes to allow walking upon the foot despite the presence of the cast thereon.

Another object is to provide a foot having a cast with a partial shoe structure that covers the toes and the major portion of the sides of the foot and cast, but leaves the rear portion and the cast proper more or less exposed to make direct or indirect contact with the floor during walking.

A further object is to have a shoe of the character indicated that is readily placed upon the foot of a patient and as readily removed, while serving as a proper support for the foot when in place.

It is also an object to have a semi-shoe as outlined which is simple in form, sturdy in construction and practical, withal.

It is likewise an object to have a special shoe as mentioned that will be as presentable and attractive as possible so as to resemble an ordinary shoe in large measure and thereby improve the morale of the patient wearing the article.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in greater detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a walking cast shoe made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same walking cast shoe as applied to a foot having a cast and in actual use.

In these views, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts to preserve identity throughout.

It was formerly the procedure to keep patients as quiet as possible, especially after major operations, after bones had been set in fracture cases and the like, but such practice has been discarded in favor of assisting patients to move about to some extent. Thus, a patient who has a foot in a cast is encouraged to attempt walking, and everything is done to facilitate this, the cast involved even being made in such form that it may be feasible to rest the weight of the foot on the floor. However, casts are not always strong enough to bear such weight or use, and often, the toes of the foot are exposed and cold.

Upon considering this problem, it has occurred to me that a special form of protecting shoe should be available for patients of the class alluded to, and, as a result, I have produced a special partial shoe that I choose to term a walking cast shoe which I shall proceed to describe in detail in the following.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and referring now also again to the drawing, a patients foot, generally indicated at 3 has a plaster or other cast 4 encasing it, with supporting straps 5 and 2, preferably U-shaped supporting yoke B of more or less conventional form held in place by a sock or wide bandage I. This accounts for the rear half including the heel of the foot and cast. Ordinarily, the patient may be expected to walk to a limited extent upon the yoke 6, but the toes (not shown) are usually exposed and the foot may accidentally collide with objects in a painful and even dangerous manner if not protected.

In order to render the foot safe and to protect the toes from exposure and cold, a special partial shoe, generally indicated at 8 is placed in position on the forward portion of the foot as best seen in Figure 2. This walking cast shoe primarily consists of the front sole 9, the toe IB, central tongue H and the upper flaps l2, IS. The usual lace M is threaded through the eyelets l5,

If in the flaps and is normally tied in con-- ventional manner to form knot It.

The sole 9 is abruptly cut off at I! beneath the instep of the foot, while the flaps l2, I3 terminate at [8 in each case in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined rear edge l9. Along the top edges 29 and 2t of the flaps are located further eyelets 22, 22, etc., in which an independent lace 23 extends rearwardly to be tied about the rear of the foot or ankle at 26 to hold the shoe in place and prevent forward displacement thereof. The upper rear corners 25, 2B of the upper flaps are extended a short distance rearwardly to enhance the efiectiveness of the rear lace 23 in retaining the shoe.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to, and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A walking cast shoe, including a front .sole

3 terminating abruptly beneath the instep of the .foot to be protected, a toe cap upon the forward portion of the front sole, and a pair of upper portions upon the sole having a lace for drawing the upper portions together upon the forward portion of the foot.

2. A walking cast shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion are opposite flaps with eyelets in the opposed edges thereof through which the lace is threaded, and'which flaps terminate from the rear end of the sole upwardly and rearwardly in inclined rear edges.

3. A walking cast shoe according to claim 2, wherein the upper edges of the flaps have ;a plurality of eyelets with a rearwardly tied independent lace therein adapted to envelope the rear of the foot or ankle to prevent forward displacement of the shoe from the foot.

4. A walking cast shoe according to claim 3, wherein the shoe has a central tongue extending rearwardly beneath the inner opposed edges of the upper flaps.

5. A walking cast shoe according to claim 4, wherein the upper rear corners of the upper flaps extend farther rearwardly than the 'sole to facilitate retaining the shoeon the foot 'by'means of the independent lace.

ROBERT F. LARKIN.

No references cited. 

